The primary end point was disease flare defined according to clinical and/or radiological data. The flare rate curve was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier, and logistic regression model was used to find factors associating with disease flare. MRI was performed to prove no active changes or progressions of bone erosions on joints. Thirty-one patients were enrolled in this study. There were 4 patients experiencing disease flare during the first 12th month. During the second year, disease flare was not occurred. Thus, the cumulative flare rate was 12.9 % on 12th month and then unchanged on the second year. Logistic regression model indicates there are no differences in

sex, age of disease initiation, disease duration, subtypes, DMARDs, HLA-B27, months of etanercept

duration and Batimastat check details scores on MRI between patients with remission and those experiencing flares. At the end of the study, MRI found no progressions of joints to the patients keeping stable remission. Step-down method can be used for etanercept tapering. Long-term remission and low flare rate can be got by this method.”
“The aim is to assess metabolic disturbance in early rheumatoid arthritis patients and its relation to the clinical characteristics of patients. Forty recently diagnosed untreated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with disease duration less than 1 year (group I) along with age- and sex-matched forty healthy volunteers who served as controls (group Pregnenolone II) were studied. Disease activity score was used to assess disease activity. Blood pressure, BMI, glucose, insulin and complete lipid profile, visfatin, and adiponectin were measured. Insulin resistance (IR) was estimated by the

homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Beta-cell function was estimated by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-B). Also, rheumatoid factor, anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies were measured. Group I had significantly higher fasting insulin, HOMA-(IR, B), visfatin, lipid profile (except HDL), and lower adiponectin versus group II (p = 0.000). There were significant positive correlations between visfatin and the following biochemical parameters: insulin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-B, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C (p = 0.05, 0.029, 0.005, 0.001, 0.002, 0.045, respectively). Also, the disease activity score was positively correlated with visfatin (p = 0.003). Meanwhile, there were significant negative correlations between adiponectin and the following biochemical parameters: insulin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-B, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, visfatin (p = 0.031, 0.023, 0.001, 0.000, 0.000, 0.016, 0.000, respectively). Also, the disease activity score was negatively correlated with adiponectin (p = 0.001). The findings of the present study showed that recently diagnosed untreated RA patients are characterized by a severe metabolic disturbance state that is driven primarily by disease activity.